


Self-Reliance (or the one where Chat gets concussion and its up to LB to save the day)

by maddiebug



Series: Concussed Chat [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Bi Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Crack, Crack that became a real story, F/M, Head Injury, Identity Reveal, Injury, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Knows, Mild Swearing, Missing Miraculous, No Beta we Die like Chat Noir, TBI, and thats on brain trauma, concussion, concussion symptoms, dumb, dumbass energy, im so bored, look i love Chat but he's not the smartest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24297583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddiebug/pseuds/maddiebug
Summary: After Chat suffers a bad head injury, it is up to Marinette, Ladybug, to find Hawkmoth on her own and face him before he finds her.But it doesn't help that Hawkmoth seems to be three steps ahead, and she has no idea where to start.Between fighting Akuma and controlling her emotions, it won't be easy for Marinette, but with a little bit of luck, and some temporary heroes, she'll probably succeed.But not without a few awkward reveals.(Used to be Titled "The Negative" because of a pun in chapter 1)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Concussed Chat [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1785271
Comments: 111
Kudos: 208





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is 100% crack I don't know what I was thinking, partially inspired by mlb-shit-post on tumblr also I am bored.

The battle was nearing it's end. Ladybug had the Akuma tied up, and Chat was reaching his cataclysm towards the akumatized object.

In an instant, the victim was freed and the butterfly purified. 

Slowly, they looked around. "Ladybug, Chat Noir? What happened?" 

"You were akumatized."

"Its nothing to be ashamed of. Its all okay now."

"Oh my God. I have to go apologize." They turned and bolted away.

Ladybug turned to her partner. "Well that was weird." 

Chat shrugged. "Not any weirder than normal."

"I mean-"

"Two words. Mr. Pigeon."

"Fair." Ladybug glanced up. "What's your take on head trauma?" 

"Not a fan. Why?" 

"Uh-" Before Ladybug could react, a piece of scaffolding fell and hit Chat in the head. Hard.

He fell over. "Ouch."

"I tried to warn you." 

"Still. Ouch."

"The suit should've protected you, right?"

He groaned. "I don't think it did. LB, this is bad."

"Okay, let's stand you up."

Chat grabbed into Ladybug's arm and she tried to pull him up. As soon as he was standing on two feet, he started swaying from side to side. "Is everything supposed to be spinning?" He Sat back down, cries-cross-applesauce and frowned. "My head hurts." 

"Yeah..." Ladybug frowned. "Do you think you can walk home on your own?"

"Definitely not."

"Shit. We're both going to transform soon. Any ideas?"

"You're the one with ideas." He giggled. "Idea bug."

"I've got nothing. Can I take you to the doctors?"

"No. You can't find out who I am. Ladybug will kill me."

"Chat..." she spoke slowly. "I am Ladybug."

"Oh. Right. Yeah." He shrugged. "Kiss me."

"What?"

"We can make this work! We’re Romeo and Juliet!"

Ladybug frowned. "It didn’t work for Romeo and Juliet. That play ends in a tragic double suicide."

Chat Noir started crying. "That’s how it ends? Why do people like it so much?"

"I don't know, people like tragedy."

"True love is stronger than any tragedy."

"Chat." She rolled her eyes. "This isn't funny."

"I'm not telling a joke." He squinted. "Your face looks like Picasso."

"What?"

"My eyes aren't focusing. You're blurry."

"And your pupils are dilated... Yikes." She knelt down and kissed him on the lips.

"Yay!" He clapped.

Ladybug looked him up and down. "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy." Chat blinked. "Why am I in a leather onesie?"

"Yikes."

"And who are you?"

"I'm Ladybug. Your- partner."

"Are we dating?"

"You wish kitty... you wish."

"What was I doing?"

"You just got hit on the head."

"Oh no. Help me get home."

"We have to get you to a doctor." Ladybug frowned. "I think you should get a brainscan"

Before she could say anything else, Chat started sobbing. "But what if it comes back negative?"

It took all of Ladybug's willpower to hold back her laughter. "I promise, it won't come back negative. You have a brain... somewhere in there."

Chat Noir tried to stand up again, but he fainted.

Ladybug (as gently as possible,) slung Chat Noir over her shoulder and made her way to the nearest hospital. Along the way, he detransformed, but she didn't look at his face. It wouldn't be fair. 

She detransformed in the parking lot, and carried her partner in, like a baby. Luckily, she had a face mask on, to protect from Covid, so the chances of her getting recognized were slim.

Her partner, who was turned away from her may not have been so lucky.

"Help. my- friend hit his head and he was acting really weird. And then he passed out."

The lady at the front desk nodded. "Can I get a name?"

"Ladybug." She said, without hesitation.

She was met with a skeptical look. "So I take it he's Chat-" 

"Yes. I don't know why the magic didn't heal him, but I'm worried."

"You're just kids. Tell me your names so we can contact your parents."

"They can't know. No one can know." Marinette started shaking. "Please."

"Okay, I'll call you two back when you're ready. How long has he been out for?"

"Maybe five minutes. We weren't far from here when it happened."

The lady nodded and wrote some things down. "See if you can wake him. If not, we will bring a stretcher out."

"Got it." Marinette walked back to the waiting area, and sat down, putting her partner in a chair. She started shaking him slowly. "Hey kitty. Wake up. Its me."

He shook his head slowly. "Marinette? What happened?"

"You hit your head and- you know who I am?"

He knew her secret. The cat was out of the bag. Then and only then, did Marinette allow herself to look at the face of her partner. 

She was greeted by locks of golden hair, a smile that could light up an entire room, green eyes that sparkle with the light, a boy who was carefree, radiant, dreamy. 

Chat Noir, her dorky partner was Adrien Agreste, the guy she had an embarrassing crush on.

(Which meant that Aspik was Chat Noir... she made a mental note to tease him later about looking like an egg.)

She took a deep breath and tried to relax. There would be time to freak out later. For now, she had to stay by her friend. She had to be there for her partner. 

And, she would have to explain what happened to Gabriel Agreste. She was not looking forward to that...

"Its a little fuzzy, but you're my friend, right?"

"Yeah." She let out a sigh of relief. "We're very good friends."

"I hit my head? That explains the headache."

"God I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault... unless it was your fault."

"Partially." 

"I'm fine. Really." Adrien stood up and started swaying. He immediately sat back down. "Mostly."

Eventually the doctor called them back and did some basic tests. 

Adrien had lost most of his balance and his short term memory was fuzzy. His emotions were unstable and his personality wasn't the same as usual. He kept complaining of a headache and Marinette was really worried.

"Its definitely a concussion." The doctor shrugged. "But I think we should do a brain scan, just in case there's internal bleeding."

"A brain scan?" Adrien gasped. "What if it comes back negative?"

The doctor raised his eyebrows. 

Marinette shrugged. "Good to know you're still in there kitty."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: oh this will be a nice two shot, with a lot of Chat Noir and crack  
> Me later: JkJk here's your plot. Its gonna be at least five chapters. and its all Adrien now, and sad   
> Me: what about Chat.  
> Me later: we don't know him.  
> Me: but crack. Funny hahaha-  
> Me: We. Don't. Know. Him.

Adrien wasn't at school the next day.

Or the one after that.

Marinette was starting to get worried, since he had hit his head pretty hard.

According to Nino, Adrien had a concussion, and texted him a few times about it, before Nathalie took away his phone and sent Nino a message asking him to collect all of Adriens homework for "the foreseeable future."

Like that wasn't ominous as hell.

Marinette didn't see Adrien, or Chat Noir for the rest of the week, which wasn't super surprising. 

He needed his rest, and if she had seen Chat she would've sent him home immediately.

Even though he hated being at home.

He transformed to feel free. 

Marinette was finally connecting all the dots, between Adrien and Chat. He made so many jokes, because he could. His outrageous personality was a result of being stifled his entire life.

She wanted to find him and give him a hug. 

But she knew that he needed rest. 

...

Adrien finally came back to school the next Monday, but something was different.

He walked through the door, with his head down, ignoring everyone, and to everyone's surprise, he sat down next to Chloe. 

Sabrina had to get up and sat down next to Nino with a huff. 

"Dude, how are you doing?" Nino asked Adrien, trying not to feel hurt that his best bro hadn't even waved back when he walked in the classroom. 

Adrien turned to him. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yeah bro, I've been worried."

"I'm sorry." Adrien winced. "Do I know you?"

Marinette mentally swore.

It was bad...

"Yeah, we've been best friends for almost a year."

Adrien shrugged. "I'm sorry I don't know you-"

"Nino." He replied. 

"Sorry, Nino, there's a lot going on, and-"

"I get it bro. Just let me know once you're feeling better."

"Yeah." Adrien looked around the classroom. "I don't know any of you guys."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "Even me? I'm pretty hard to forget"

"Nope, sorry. I think I'd remember you."

"Me?"

"No."

"What about-"

"Guys." Marinette cut them off. "I think we're overwhelming Adrien. Lets give him space, and stop yelling."

"Thanks." Adrien smiled at Marinette. "You're a lifesaver."

Lila gasped. "How could you forget your loving girlfriend?"

"I remember my her." Adrien pointed at Marinette. "You were in my dreams. You saved me. And we kissed. And then it went fuzzy."

"I-" Marinette choked on her words. How could she respond in any way that was both the truth and didn't out her as a superhero? She couldn't. 

"She's not your-" Lila glared, but was cut off by Alya.

"Don't worry, sunshine, you're in Marinette's dreams all the time."

"Shut up." Marinette rolled her eyes. "I'm glad that you're feeling better, Adrien-" 

"Thanks, Marinette." He said the word slowly, as if it was new and familiar at the same time.

"-But I'm not your girlfriend."

"Girl, missed opportunity." Alya whispered.

"I am not taking advantage of the fact that he's confused." Marinette whispered back. 

"But I'm not confused." Adrien smiled. "You're the love of my life. My soul mate."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Tone it down kitty. You hit your head."

"Look." Adrien took a breath. "I may have permanent brain damage-"

Rose started praying.

"-but I know one thing for sure. I love you Marinette."

Marinette gave a tight smile, clenching her teeth. "Thanks." 

Adrien was flirting with her? Openly? He must be more confused than she thought.

It was important that he didn't say anything to out them as superheroes, assuming that be even remembered their accidental reveal.

She wasn't going to bring it up anytime soon though.

For now, she was going to let him recover. And maybe bring in some temporary heroes. 

He was in no condition to fight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot of Adrien's symptoms are going to be things that I've experienced in concussions, like headaches,confusion, easily overwhelmed, short term memory, balance issues, but concussions are different for everyone.
> 
> If you think you have a concussion rest. See a doctor, avoid screentime, drink lots of water, make s ure you're eating enough. The worst part is that it just takes time. You have to allow yourself to heal, don't prolong the concussion like I did by watching tv. (I couldn't read straight for a solid month so that was... fun.) 
> 
> Thanks for reading so far and let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette spent most of her next week trying to cover up anytime Adrien let anything _miraculous_ slip out.

Like, there was the time that he told Nino that he loved running across rooftops, and Marinette sneezed so loudly that the conversation was forgotten.

When Adrien said like six cat puns before the bell fang for first period, Marinette had to ask him to cool it.

Or the time Adrien said that he thought he used to have a black kitten, and Marinette suggested that maybe it was a stuffed animal, even though she knew it was his kwami. 

One day, Adrien showed up to school in a leather jacket and Marinette almost had a heart attack when Alya said that he looked like Chat Noir. Luckily, Adrien pretended not to know who Chat Noir was, so he dealt with that on his own. 

Still, Marinette was behind him all week, making sure he didn't slip up.

The last thing they needed was Hawkmoth accidentally uncovering their identities because Adrien was concussed and had no filter. 

But Marinette was also keeping an eye on Adrien for his safety. 

His general awareness of everything going on around him had decreased dramatically. 

His balance was terrible. Prior to the concussion, Adrien could've walked on a tightrope, no sweat. Now, he stumbled through the hallway, tripping over his own feet. 

He used to be sneaky, like a cat. Now he was awkward and fumbling. 

Also, his hearing, or at least hearing comprehension, was worse. Adrien used to be able to understand what Ladybug whispered from 100 meters away. Now, he had to ask Nino to repeat when he was sitting right next to him.

Adrien was functioning, but slow. 

Luckily, Hawkmoth hadn't made a move since Chat got hurt. Which was ominous. Maybe he was planning something big. 

Hopefully not. 

Marinette, Ladybug, could not fight another Scarlet Akuma off on her own. 

It was time to call in some backup, but first she had to make Chat rest. She had to tell him that he wasn't allowed to fight.

He was recovering, but nowhere near ready to right, and when Marinette tried to tell him that he couldn't fight, he didn't take it well.

He didn't really take it at all. 

It was a confusing conversation for both parties. 

After class, Marinette pulled Adrien aside. "I'm benching you."

He blinked. "What?"

"I'm pulling you out. You're risking too much."

"Is this about fencing? I know I'm benched."

"No, this is about fighting."

"Why would I fight you?" He smiled. "I love you."

"No, fighting with me. You know, saving the world..."

He looked absolutely lost.

"...you can't fight any battles until you're better."

"Okay." He chuckled, clenching his fists and miming a punch. "I won't fight any battles."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Mari," he took a breath. "I'm not going to fight anyone. I don't think I'm the kind of person who gets in fights."

"No, not like- ugh!" She sighed. "Plagg needs to babysit you anytime it gets dangerous."

"Who's Plagg?"

"Haha very funny mister. You're benched." Marinette walked out of the classroom without another word. 

If she had turned around, she would've seen Adrien Agreste scrolling through his phone contacts, and failing to find anyone named Plagg. 

Because, to him, it wasn't a joke at all. 

But she didn't. Marinette walked out of the classroom and home, to figure out which of the Miraculous she was going to give out temporarily. 

Adrien walked out alone, to the car.

He kept fidgeting with his empty hand. And he didn't know why. It was bothering him, like something he was supposed to know but didn't. A part of him was missing. It didn't add up.

Adrien was alone.

Which begs the question, where was Plagg?

That's for me to know, dear reader, and you to take wild guesses until you get it right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha haha where would Plagg be? Any ideas?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thanks for all the comments!   
> Most of you said that the ring was either with hawkmoth or left at the hospital, and all I will say is that one of those is right.   
> This is kind of a filler chapter, but where I ended it was a good place to end.

The first miraculous that Ladybug delivered was the Turtle.

She didn't tell Nino everything, but she told him enough. 

"Chat is... out of commission for a while, so I'm going to need some backup."

Nino slid the bracelet on his wrist. "You mean, I just get to keep this? Like all the time?"

"Yes." Ladybug frowned. "I know its a huge responsibility to ask of you and I understand if you can't-"

"No. I can do it. Ladybug, you and Chat have saved me countless times. I owe you one or two."

"Awesome. You're the best, Nino."

"Thanks. Tell Chat that I hope he feels better soon."

"I me ever said he was hurt." Ladybug spun around. "How did you know-"

"I'm good at reading people. You're worried about Chat. If he was okay, you wouldn't be asking me to do this."

"No, you're right. Thank you Nino."

"Its the least I can do."

With that out of the way, Ladybug had at least one sidekick she could rely on... now for the others.

...

Alya had apologized to Marinette, and honestly she had only had good intentions. She had supported the wrong person for the right reason. 

Marinette could be a little salty about it, but Ladybug had no reason to fault Alya for wanting to defend her friend.

And Alya was a pretty good temporary hero. She had the compassion and drive to do what was necessary to save innocent civilians. She was also the only one skilled enough at the Fox miraculous to make an image of Chat Noir.

As long as Hawkmoth didn't know that Chat was vulnerable, he would have no reason to attack Adrien. 

A decoy Chat was the best plan.

Ladybug explained the plan in more detail to Alya, 

"Chat is out of commission, for a while, and I'm giving you your miraculous."

"Yes!" Alya opened the box containing the necklace excitedly. "You can count on me Ladybug."

"I know I can. Just keep this a secret and-"

"Don't tell anyone. I've got it. You can trust me."

Ladybug bite her tongue, holding back a sarcastic response. "Yeah, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"Oh, you know who would be great with a Miraculous?" 

"Who?"

"My friend Marinette." Alya smiled. "She's super kind, and a little clumsy, but I've seen her do seemingly impossible things."

Ladybug froze. "I'm not sure that that is a good idea."

"No, trust me, it is. She has the fastest reflexes of anyone I know. And she's fast. Sometimes she's late to school, but she's always there when we need her. Shes really the best."

"I don't know." Ladybug tried to hide her blush. "It sounds like she's busy. I'm not sure that I should add another thing to her plate. And she doesn't have experience."

"I could show her the ropes-"

"No."

"But-"

"Alya, I appreciate the offer to help, but that's a terrible idea. You and Nino figured eachother out instantly. What if Marinette realizes who you are, or she recognizes me?"

"Does she know you? Like civilian you?"

It was enough to get Alya off of her tail. "You know I can't tell you that."

"Sorry." Alya had the decency to look ashamed of herself. "I'm not going to push."

"Alya Cesaire I am entrusting you with the Fox miraculous. Use it wisely."

"Thank you. You can count on me."

...

Chloe was... trying to do better. She had been a hero a couple times, and she was being nice to everyone at school, for Adrien's sake. 

Well, relatively. Chloe's version of nice was less hostile and antagonizing than usual, but it was far from kind. 

But despite all that, Chloe was the most emotionally vulnerable of the temporary members of team miraculous. She had been akumatized the most times and was most at risk of getting akumatized again.

Chloe wanted to help, but she was a liability. She had had multiple second chances. She was improving, but she was not worthy if a miraculous. 

It was with a heavy heart that Ladybug jumped in through Chloe's window.

"I need you for a special mission."

"Of Course, Ladybug! Just give me pollen and I'll totally-"

"That's the thing," Ladybug winced, "I'm not giving you Pollen."

"I don't understand. I've been better. I've been nice."

"You have been better, Chloe but it doesn't make up for what you did."

"I apologized."

"I know. But you've abused the power of the miraculous once. I can't risk that again."

"So why are you here? This is ridiculous."

"I want your help on a secret mission."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Go on?"

"Chat Noir, well, he got hurt. He's vulnerable."

"And you want me to babysit him?" 

"I want you to protect him. Keep him from danger."

"Wouldn't I be better at that with a miraculous?"

"No. Because I don't want him to know that you're doing it. Do it for me."

"I'm not exactly the protective type. Won't he realize that something is up if I suddenly start acting like his friend?"

"Not exactly..." Ladybug crossed her arms. "You have to understand that the information I'm going to tell you stays between us. Its a secret."

"You're trusting me with his identity?"

"Its Adrien."

Chloe laughed. "Adrien? that's funny. No, really I won't tell anyone. Who is he?"

"I'm serious."

"So, you need me to keep an eye on him?"

"Yes. Especially during Akuma attacks."

"You think he'll try to run off? When he's injured?"

"I know he will. He's died for me. I can't lose him."

"I will make sure he stays safe."

"I'm trusting you to protect my partner. I care about him more than anyone else-"

"Yeah, you two are in love or whatever." Chloe waved. "You can count on me Ladybug."

"I was hoping I could. Thanks Chloe."

"No problem..." Chloe smiled. "Thanks for trusting me."

"You're the one who's been getting better. You did that on your own, Chlo."

"Eww." Chloe rolled her eyes. "If you call me Chlo, I'm gonna call you buggaboo. That name is for Adrikitty only."

"Noted. Keep my kitty safe."

"I will."

"Thank you." Ladybug stepped on the windowsill and looked back at Chloe one last time before leaving, "Chlo."

And thus, with miraculous given out and an eye kept on Adrien, Ladybug felt confident that she could handle whatever Hawkmoth threw at her.

Unfortunately, she was going to be proven very wrong.

She had no idea what was going to happen next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: make Ladybug fight on her own.  
> Also me: no she's the guardian of course she's going to give out miraculous. Shes not reckless.


	5. Chapter 5

The school day started out, like many others, with Marinette running into the classroom only seconds before the bell rang.

Everyone else was already seated, and ready for class to begin. 

First period went normally, even if Marinette was a little bit on edge. She could hardly pay attention in her classes, just waiting to hear large crashes and panicked screams, accompanied by people sprinting to safety or marching as minions, the telltale sign of an Akuma.

The Parisian Fire Fighters still hadn't agreed to Ladybug's genius plan of pulling the fire alarm for Akuma, so the only alert system was the Ladyblog, which only updated when Alya wasn't taking a test. Once, Ladybug was an hour late to an Akuma because she was in a physics test and Mrs. Mendeleiv did not allow phones

It had been quite a while since Hawkmoth attacked, hopefully he wasn't planning anything. However, knowing her luck, he probably was.

Marinette spent all morning picturing the worst possible scenarios, and planning what she would do in any situation, but nothing happened. She came up with plans A through Z, and then a list of over a hundred possible Akuma. (Which would be confusing to explain if anyone ever saw her notebook. That would definitely look like pretty incriminating evidence that she was Hawkmoth, which was about as far from the truth as possible, but she had no way to react to that scenario that didn't reveal her identity as Ladybug.)

She even wrote out multiple ways to defeat her if she became summarized, which was becoming more and more likely, with every moment that she stressed about the possibilities. 

Her partner was out of commission, but she had two capable heroes that would hopefully be enough to stop whatever Hawkmoth threw at her. There were a couple other one-time heroes she could call, like Viperion and King Monkey. 

If things seemed really weak, she could pull a Kwamiibuster and wear every miraculous at once, but that seemed reckless and dangerous.

Last case scenario, she could give Chloe the bee miraculous, but that seemed like a bad idea. Chloe was conceited and vain. She out her needs above others, but in the case of destruction of the entirety of Paris, her needs aligned with the other heroes. If Chloe was given the miraculous, Ladybug couldn't be sure that she would give it back. Chloe was a liability, and with the secret knowledge she had been given, already had too much power. She had helped Hawkmoth in the past, and although unlikely, could fall to darkness again.

Chloe did care about Adrien though, and would be good at protecting him. 

Hopefully she would be enough to keep him from danger. 

Ladybug could've saved him from the injury if she had been a second faster. She could've shoved her partner to the side, preventing the damage.

She wasn't the one that hit his head, but she felt responsible. She had to protect him as well as she could until he was healed. He had been willing to die for her, she had to be the same. 

If it saved Paris, Ladybug would give her life. That was like a last last case scenario, though.

Halfway through second period, there was a distant explosion. _Boom._

Through the classroom windows, she could see the plume of smoke rising towards the sky.

With whispers of "Akuma!" Most of her classmates hid under their desks, as Alya and Nino subtly crawled out the door. 

Marinette stayed behind for a minute, to make sure that Adrien was safe.

Everyone reacted like they were supposed to, covering their heads and hiding, except Adrien, who remained standing.

Marinette prepared herself to tackle him, to prevent him from fighting, if necessary, but he didn't move towards the door. Or the windows. He didn't try to leave at all. 

He looked around, confused, as everyone else protected themselves. "What the hell was that?"

Chloe crawled over to him and pulled him down. "That was an Akuma Adrien, get down."

He curled up on the floor next to her, "is that some sort of bomb?"

"Its an Akuma, stupid. Its safer to be quiet."

"Sorry." He whispered back. 

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief and started towards the door once she was certain that Adrien was safe. Chloe could keep him from fighting.

It was strangely out of character for him to not charge towards the fight, but maybe he had more self preservation than she gave him credit. 

The next words out of Adrien's mouth sent shivers down Marinette's spine. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what an Amuka is." 

Marinette froze, and turned around to stare at Adrien as he waved his arms around. 

"You're all acting like it's the end of the world or something, like yeah there was an explosion, but I think we're fine."

"Shut up, we're trying to hide." Chloe grabbed his hand.

"What's an akuma?"

"A supervillian, I'll explain later."

"I'm going to fight it."

Chloe and Marinette facepalmed. Yep, that was definitely Chat Noir. "No, you need to stay quiet and safe. You're injured Adrien."

Adrien pulled away. "No. I will not be silenced." He stood up, and crossed his arms. "If no one else will fight it, I will."

"Adrien, there are literal magical superheroes-"

He cut Chloe off. "You're telling me that there are magical superheroes and villians in Paris and I don't remember them?"

Well, that was concerning, but not surprising. Adrien didn't remember his classmates, he lost most memories of the past year. 

"Yes."

"I think you've lost it."

"What?"

"You're crazy." He waved his hands. His.. empty hands. "All of you. There's no magic."

"Adrien," Chloe whispered, voicing the thoughts that Marinette was having, as she stared at his hand, hoping that she was wrong. Hoping that she just had bad vision. "You're missing your ring." 

He looked at his hand. "I don't wear a ring."

Marinette's heart skipped a beat.

If Adrien didn't have the ring, it could be anywhere.

And the Cat Miraculous of destruction, in the wrong hands... it was unthinkable. 

So much damage and chaos could be created.

That hadn't been anywhere on Marinette's list of plans. 

She tried to push aside her panic as she sprinted out of school and towards the Akuma. 

Alya and Nino had been fighting on their own for too long already, and Paris needed Ladybug. 

Marinette would investigate for the ring later. Hopefully, Adrien had just taken it off, or left it at the hospital.

It wasn't like Hawkmoth had it....

Or was it?


	6. Chapter 6

Ladybug transformed and raced to the scene of the Akuma as fast as she could. 

Luckily, between Rena's Mirage and Carapace's shield, the other heroes managed to minimize the damage.

There were about 20 Rena Rouges spinning around the Akuma, who was sitting criss-cross on the ground, eyes closed, as Carapace slipped out of it's grasp. 

They hadn't defeated the Akuma, but they hadn't lost their miraculous.... 

Not like a certain hero who hit his head. 

Which was kinda Ladybug's fault. If she had better reflexes, she could've saved him. 

Ladybug was on edge as she approached Carapace. "What's the sitch?"

Caught by surprise, he flipped her over and pinned her to the ground. "Oh! Ladybug-" he stood back up and brushed himself off. "Sorry about that, I thought you were another minion."

"Nope, just me." She pulled herself up off the ground. "Its fine. Occupational hazard." 

"I didn't mean to-"

"Seriously, don't worry about it. I can't count how many times I've tackled Chat, or vice versa."

"Still, I-"

"Don't worry about it." She shrugged. "I don't hold grudges. Its part of the job." Ladybug pointed at the Akuma, "what's his deal?"

"Catastrophe." Carapace frowned. "He can destroy anything he touches."

"Shit." Ladybug swore. It was probably a random civilian who got Chat's ring. And pretty soon, he would deliver it right to Hawkmoth... 

Or she was projecting her problems together. It was unlikely that Hawkmoth would get the miraculous. Magical jewelry usually went to those with good hearts. 

Hawkmoth wouldn't get his wish unless the universe wanted him to get his wish. Fate always hand a way of working out. 

She hand to trust the universe, because if she didn't, then that meant that-

Carapace waved a hand in front of her face. "Uh. Lady-dude you there?"

"Huh?" Ladybug blinked and shook her head. "Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking."

"Okay. Anyways, he hasn't been doing a lot of damage-"

"Really?" Ladybug raised an eyebrow, and looked at the ash-covered square on the pavement where a skyscraper had stood. "That looks like-"

"He just wants your attention. He hasn't hurt any civilians. I don't know why."

"What is Rena doing?"

"Mostly distraction. She helped evacuate all the civilians on this block. She's been flying all around Catastrophe, but he hasn't tried to attack her at all."

"What do we know about him?"

"Don't touch his hands."

"I'm going in-"

"Be careful."

"I'm Ladybug." She winked. "Any damage I take will be healed as soon as this is over." 

She marched towards the Akuma, exuding confidence that she did not have. 

On the inside, she was shaky and panicking. She wanted to sit on the ground and cry. She had halfway lost.

Even the name, Catastrophe, had to be a pun. If Marinette hadn't seen Adrien in class earlier that morning, she would've thought that Chat Noir himself had been akumatized.

And that wasn't something she could handle.

The akuma opened it's eyes, outlined by a glowing butterfly, as she approached. "Ladybug. I've been waiting for you." 

"Hawkmoth." She growled. "What do you want?"

"I want to offer you an olive branch."

"You're giving up and surrendering your miraculous?"

"No." The Akuma smirked. "You are."

She crossed her arms. "Why would I do that?"

"If you give me your earrings, this will all be over. I'll stop attacking Paris. I will get my wish, and the world will be right again."

"Yeah, right." She shook her head. "Not happening, Hawkmoth."

"I was worried you might say that. This could've been so easy, little bug. I really don't want to destroy Paris, but you're forcing my hand."

"You wouldn't."

"I'd do anything to get what I want." The Akuma started bringing it's hand towards the ground. "Once you're gone, I'll pick up your earrings from the wreckage, and wish for a better world."

"Wait!"

He smiled. "I knew you could see reason. Just give me your miraculous and no one gets hurt."

"Even if I give you mine, you still need the ring." 

"I have the ring."

Ladybug's blood ran cold. "You're bluffing. Chat Noir has it."

"I thought you didn't like liars."

"You don't have the ring. You can't. Its Chat's."

"If he has the ring, then where is he? Why isn't he helping you fight?" Before she could respond, he answered his own question. "I've akumatized him."

She laughed. "Now you're bluffing. I know that Chat isn't traumatized because I saw him this morning at school-"

"And now I know you go to school with him. you're just a child. Like he is. This will be easier than I thought-"

"Wait, no I don't-" she backtracked, trying to come up with a new story, but it was too late.

Hawking released the akuma from his hold and a little butterfly fluttered out. 

Ladybug purified it with a frown. 

Nothing was going her way. Her parter was in no position to fight, and she had to protect Paris on her own. 

Hawkmoth knew who Chat was, and had the ring. He was halfway to his goal of complete chaos.

She couldn't let him get the earrings, but it was not looking good.

He knew that Ladybug was in Adrien's class. If he got a hold of a list of everyone in their class, it would be easy to narrow it down and find her.

She was only days away from her identity being exposed to the world. 

The white butterfly flapped out of her yo-yo as Rena Rouge and Carapace approached to fist bump.

"Pound it-"

"Don't." Ladybug frowned. "He has Chat's ring."

"That's bad." Carapace shook his head.

"And he knows where I go to school."

Rena crossed her arms. "That's really bad."

"I should've kept quiet. He was taunting me for information. He wasn't going to do any damage with that Akuma. It's only a matter of days before he connects me with Adrien and figures it out."

"Adrien?"

"And-" Ladybug sighed. "All of the heroes are Adrien's closest friends, so once he figures me out, all of you are toast. Everyone knows about Chloe-"

Rena nodded. "Its easy to get to Nino and me."

"And then the next person closest to Adrien is-" Nino looked at Ladybug. "Kagami."

"No you idiot." Rena pushed him. "She's Marinette." 

"Oh yeah, that makes more sense, Kagami would never wear pigtails."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Well, now that you all know who I am, what's the plan? Where do we proceed from here?"

"I thought you were the one with plans?"

"Not this time. Nothing could've prepared me for this."

Hawkmoth was halfway to winning. 

And Ladybug still had no idea who he was. 


	7. Chapter 7

After defeating the Akuma, Marinette was paranoid.

Hawkmoth basically knew who she was. He could access the school records, and find her name and address. He could target her friends, her family, Adrien. 

He could target her.

She jerked her head around, hearing the phantom flapping of little butterfly wings, but nothing was there. She had imagined it.

She shook her head to snap out of it. 

As long as Hawkmoth didn't get her miraculous, he couldn't win. She had to stay calm, cool and collected to avoid getting Akumatized.

She, and Rena Rouge and Carapace could put up a fight against anyone, but if she was evilized, then all hope would be lost. 

After she revealed her identity to Rena Rouge and Carapace, Marinette went back to school. The conversation wasn't over, but they had to get to class. 

They could talk strategy later. 

Marinette found herself staring at Adrien for the rest of the day, feeling guilty about everything that had happened.

If she had been faster, he wouldn't be hurt. If she had pushed him out of the way, Hawkmoth wouldn't have the cat miraculous. 

If Ladybug had had better reflexes, she could've protected her partner from a lot of damage. He had been willing to take the fall for her, but it wasn't fair to see him hurt like this.

He couldn't even remember how he got hurt.

When people asked about it, he kept his answers vague, something about being caught in the aftermath of an Akuma, but anyone could tell that he wasn't quite sure.

Earlier, he hadn't even known what an akuma was. 

He had months of memory wiped from his brain, and it was her fault. Marinette stared at her desk, her vision going fuzzy as her eyes started to tear up. 

If only she bad been better- 

Without warning, Alya, who was sitting next to Marinette, shoved her out of the seat and onto the stairs. Marinette tumbled down, bruising her arms and legs, before landing hard on her butt. 

"Ouch." Marinette groaned, looking up at her best friend with confusion. "What _was_ that?"

Alya's voice was perfectly level, not the mocking or teasing tone that would be expected after pushing a friend. "You might want to go to the hallway and calm down."

"What do you mean?" Marinette raised her voice. "I am perfectly calm." 

Alya raised an eyebrow and pointed to the butterfly that was circling the chair where Marinette had been sitting. "I'll post something on the Ladyblog so Ladybug can come purify it." Alya's little wink to Marinette was not subtle, and Marinette had to physically restrain herself from face-palming.

What was the point of a secret identity if it couldn't be kept secret?

Marinette sighed. "Mrs. Bustier, I'm going to go to the hallway and calm down."

"Yes." Mrs. Bustier looked at the rest of the class. "We are going to be taking a break. Everyone, get under your desks."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Marinette walked into the hallway, closing the door behind her. 

If anyone in Mrs. Bustier's homeroom saw the flash of pink light under the door, or heard Marinette yell 'Spots on!' they didn't say anything.

And they didn't comment on how quickly Ladybug appeared after Marinette left. 

And of course no one realized that when Ladybug entered the classroom, the hallway was empty.

No, no one noticed anything. Or, if they did, they kept their mouths shut. 

Ladybug purified the Akuma without a word, making a New record for her fastest time catching an Akuma. 

But Hawkmoth was getting close. 

Too close.

Immediately after Ladybug left, Marinette walked in the door, looking around. "Ladybug said everything was fine?"

"Yeah, we're glad you're safe Marinette."

Marinette was just glad that her secret identity was safe.

(It wasn't) 

And that she had avoided being akumatized.

(For now)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Thanks for reading so far!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, just a heads-up, Marinette kinda has a panic attack in the chapter, like she overanalyze her own thoughts and then can't breathe and starts crying and that fun stuff, so just wanted to let you know, its not super detailed but yeah.  
> Also, I know panic attacks are different for everyone, but I always can't breathe, start crying and have to sit down and really focus on breathing and not passing out. Not fun stuff.

After that close call, Marinette was permitted to head home for the rest of the day, as was usually allowed after being evilized. 

Away from school, she was able to relax, a bit. She wasn't watching Adrien the whole time, wondering how she could've saved him. And she wasn't feeling guilty about what happened. 

Instead, she was thinking about staring at Adrien, and only thinking about being guilty, which lead to her feeling actual guilt (with the gross feeling in her stomach and headache) which was almost worse than being at school.

At least at school she could keep an eye on Adrien and make sure that he was staying safe. 

At home, she had no idea. 

And of course, as much as she wanted to believe that Chloe could protect him, there was a lot of doubt.

No. Marinette needed to breathe. In and out. in and out. inandout. inandoutandinandoutandoutandinand-

Her vision was starting to get fuzzy.

She couldn't breathe. The air wouldn't go into her lungs, it wasn't being absorbed. The oxygen was getting lost on the way to her brain, meandering about, without a care. She couldn't do anything.

She raised her arms above her head, but it didn't help her air flow. She was almost to the bakery, just had to cross the street and-

In.

And out.

Marinette didn't remember getting home, but there she was, sitting on the couch. 

Her dad offered her some water. 

She sipped at it slowly, chipping away at the headache pounding against her skull. "What happened?"

"I think you were having a panic attack. When you got back, you kept saying that you couldn't breathe, and were crying."

"And everyone in the bakery saw?" She covered her face with her hands. "That's embarrassing."

"Not really. There were maybe two customers. They were more focused on the macarons than you." Tom sat down next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What about the bakery?" Marinette blinked. "Don't you have things you need to do? Bread to bake and stuff?"

"Maybe, but you're more important than a loaf of bread. Besides, your mother can handle the bakery for a while."

"Oh."

"Yeah. We can talk if you want, or you can try to distract yourself."

"Distract myself?"

"Sometimes, the best way to take your mind off of something is to do something else."

"Like what? I can't stop thinking about-" She bit her cheek. "Never mind."

"Well, we could play some Ultimate Mecha Strike. I'm sure that would take your mind off-" 

Before he could finish speaking, Marinette leapt out of the seat, turning on the console and placing the game disk in. 

She tossed a remote to him. "You're on!"

"That was.. not what I was expecting." He chuckled. Tom had been hoping to have a heart to heart with his daughter, but video games were always fun too.

He trusted that if Marinette did need help, she would come to him or Sabine. She was a smart girl. She just usually didn't get so worked up.

He had no idea what could've made her so upset that she almost got akumatized. 

The last time that happened, she had gotten expelled from school. This time, the school called after it happened, and sent her home, with no explanation.

And there had to be an explanation, right? Something had to have made her upset. Marinette wasn't irrational, except when it came to that boy she liked. Something had hurt her. 

But as he glanced at his daughter, who was laughing because she won (by a long shot), he felt his worries disappear. She was such a positive girl. Nothing bad could happen to her. 

Her joy was infectious, miraculous. Playing the game cheered her up, and made Tom smile. 

After a few rounds, he was confident that Marinette was feeling better, but wasn't going to push unless she brought it up.

Which, of course, she did. 

"I'm ready to talk." She pressed the pause button and took a deep breath. "Don't be mad at me, but I have a secret."

"A secret?"

She winced. "Look, I wanted to tell you a long time ago, but I couldn't. I shouldn't. Telling you now only puts you in more danger."

"Mari, if it's dangerous, you should stop. You should protect yourself."

"I'm busy protecting everyone else." She rolled her eyes. "I don't want to put you at risk like this, but you need to know. If something happens to me out there, and I don't come back, you deserve to know who I was."

Yikes, that didn't sound good. 

"Don't come back? Sweetie, what are you talking about? Do we need to pull you out of school? Are you in danger? I thought Ladybug always saves your school."

"Yeah. Ladybug always saves the school. But in case she doesn't, I need to-"

"That's ridiculous. Ladybug is a hero. She always does the right thing and saves the day."

Marinette crossed her arms. "What if Ladybug's just like me? Clumsy and jealous and nervous and-"

Tom wasn't the smartest, but he knew how to read in between the lines. Whenever Marinette talked about Ladybug, and all the flaws she had, she was really talking about herself. "Then she's still a hero, because, even though she's clumsy, she does the right thing in the end and saves the day."

"But she's just a regular person. I bet she makes huge mistakes and-"

"Everyone makes mistakes. Its how we respond to them that defines us."

"...how we respond." She repeated. "Huh."

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Marinette shook her head. "I think I've got it figured out. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Tom tilted his head at the game. "We can keep this up, or you can help in the bakery."

"I think I just wanna take a nap. It's been a long day, and-"

"Yeah, I get it. No need to explain. But just know, if you need to vent your frustrations, you can always knead some dough. Its therapeutic. And it's always very relaxing to put icing flowers on cakes."

She rolled her eyes. "You just want free labor from me."

Tom chuckled. "No one does cake decorating like you... But really, do whatever makes you feel better."

"I will." 

When Tom started for the bakery, he was surprised to see Marinette following him. "What happened to taking a nap?"

She shrugged. "Those cakes aren't going to put flowers on themselves."

"Of course not." He smiled. "And if you ever want to... elaborates on what you were saying earlier, just let me know."

"Thanks. I will." She frowned. "But it's a conversation I need to have with you and Mom. Both of you need to hear it."

"If you're sure-"

"Yeah. It can wait. But those cakes can't!" Marinette ran towards the bakery.

The cakes could wait, and they both knew it, but Tom wasn't going to push his daughter. She was opening up at her own speed. Whatever her secret was, it couldn't be the end of the world.

She was a teenager. Most likely, it was something about a boy, or a failed test. He loved Marinette, but she tended to be a little dramatic. It probably wasn't the life and death scenario she had described.

But it had been nearly enough to get her akumatized, so maybe-

He shook his head. Whatever it was, Marinette would tell him when she was ready to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I think I should change the title. Idk what I should change it to, but that title is only relevant to the first chapter. 
> 
> Second, how do you guys feel about a not-so happy ending because atm I'm leaning towards Hawkmoth winning and stuff, but I could also write two endings, one happy, one sad, or something. 
> 
> This was a better chapter for Marinette, things have been kinda bleak, and I wanted get to cheer up and calm down especially after the close call last chapter.
> 
> Also, I know quarantine is rough, and I hope you all are doing well. If you are participating in the protests in the U.S I hope you stay safe, and if not, please try to donate and spread awareness as much as you can. Everything that has happened was horribly unjust and should be protested. If you can't afford to donate (I don't have the link rn) there are videos you can watch that the ad revenue goes towards blm charities and stuff.


	9. Chapter 9

After releasing her frustrations into some very tough raisin bread dough, Marinette had to agree with her dad. It _was_ therapeutic. Honestly, being in the bakery with her parents was just what she needed.

It was a safe place. Free of stress, and relatively free of akuma, (compared to her school). She didn't have to think about homework, or being Ladybug, she could just create baked goods, and eat the ones that she messed up.

Marinette was usually careful and precise, but on this specific day, she messed up icing on quite a few cookies, and had to eat them herself. Her dad definitely noticed, but given that she had had a rough day, he let it slide. If eating a couple cookies made her feel better, she could eat them. 

After she finished decorating some cakes, in which Marinette had made a bunch of elaborate frosting flowers that circled the cakes and used frosting to write messages in a calligraphy-esque style, it was time for the bakery to close for the day.

Marinette helped her dad clean up, sweeping and wiping down the counter, while her mom made dinner. 

They were quiet, but Marinette could feel someone staring at her. She got a feeling in the back of her neck. It came in handy during Akuma fights, but at the moment it was worrying her. She was practically alone in the bakery. There was no one who should've been staring at her.

She turned around to see her dad. "What?"

He quickly glanced away, avoiding eye contact. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you keep staring at me?"

"I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Oh." She relaxed. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"And you know, if you want to talk-"

"Dad. I'm fine. Trust me."

He wanted to trust her, but he couldn't. People who were fine, didn't get akumatized in the middle of the school day. He didn't want to push her, he just wanted to protect her. "If you're sure."

"I am." Marinette swept up her pile and threw it in the trash bin. "I'm going upstairs. I need some space right now. Let me know when its dinner time."

"Of course sweetie."

....

Marinette was stuck.

On one hand, she had to tell her parents who she was. There was a very real possibility of Hawkmoth winning, any day now that he had the cat miraculous, but she didn't want them to think she was giving up. 

But on the other hand, she couldn't tell them. Her identity was a secret, Ladybug was an enigma, a hero. If she told them that Ladybug was actually just a teenager, it could ruin their image of her. They would worry about Ladybug every time an Akuma hit. They would g trust her as much.

But also, if she disappeared, from an Akuma, without telling them, they would be devastated.

But if she did tell them, it would break several rules. 

But she was the guardian now, she could make her own rules.

And she revealed Adrien's identity to Chloe, which wasn't fair. 

It was decided. Marinette was going to tell her parents that she was Ladybug.

...

She finally brought it up at dinner. "Mom, Dad, I have something I need to say. A secret. And I've been scared to tell you, because I didn't want you to hate me-"

"We could never hate you."

"Marinette," her mom smiled at her, "you're an amazing, strong young woman, we're proud to be your parents, and nothing you say will change that."

"We accept you."

"Even if you like girls." 

Tom elbowed Sabine. "Shh."

"Ouch!"

Marinette blinked. "I uhh, what?"

"She was going to tell us herself." Tom whispered. "You've thrown her off."

"I just wanted her to feel accepted. It was going to take her hours to get to the point."

"-but guys-"

"You can't out someone, she was coming out on her own terms."

"I didn't mean to sound rude I just-"

"Mom! Dad!" Marinette sighed. "As sweet as that is, I don't like girls..."

Her mom raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, because I've see how you and Kagami look at each other and it is not-"

Mom!" Marinette groaned. "That wasn't my secret."

"It wasn't?"

"It wasn't." She rolled her eyes. "But if I did like girls, you'd be the first people I'd tell." 

Honestly, Marinette started to think about what her Mom had said, and yeah, maybe she looked at Kagami differently, but that was because they were rivals. Battling for love. Adrien's love. Not each other's.

Right?

Even though Marinette thought Kagami was pretty and wanted to kiss her, that didn't mean anything. Chloe was pretty too. And Alya. They were very good friends. And Kagami probably didn't feel that way. 

Marinette didn't think she felt that way, but maybe-

Marinette shook her head. She was getting distracted by thoughts of pretty girls. A lot of girls were pretty, Marinette thought. Which didn't help the conversation. 

Both Tom and Sabine looked confused. "Oh."

"I was saying, I have a secret."

"Yes,"

"And-" Marinette winced as she heard a loud crash.

"That sounded like an Akuma."

"Yeah, it did. Hopefully we're all safe in here."

"I'm sure we are." Sabine shrugged. "What were you saying Marinette?"

"What was I saying?"

"And... something?"

"And... oH!" Marinette shook her head. "-and I need to go to the bathroom."

She got up from the table and ran. 

As soon as she shut the bathroom door, Tikki popped out. "I thought you were going to tell them."

"I was," Marinette sighed, "but they made everything confusing and I got distracted."

"Maybe this is a sign that you shouldn't tell them, from the universe. Its unbalanced. I did warn against-"

"This is just a sign that Hawkmoth is a real jerk with bad timing." Marinette crossed her arms. "Tikki, Spots On!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the responses that I got, said that you guys wanted a happy ending, which like I totally get, so I will be writing two endings. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading so far, I hope you liked it, let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

After Ladybug and Carapace defeated the Akuma, which had been Rose, one of their classmates (Hawkmoth was getting closer), Marinette rushed back home.

She climbed back through the bathroom window, and washed her hands before walking back towards the dinner table. 

As she sat down, her parents were silent. Staring at her.

She laughed awkwardly. "Where were we?"

Her mom blinked. "You came out of the bathroom?"

"Oh, right." She nodded. "I don't think I like girls, I have a secret."

She was met with blank faces. Literally no response. Her parents looked like deer in headlights. 

"I could've sworn we were talking about-"

"Well, we were talking about that..." Tom trailed off.

"But we were talking with Marinette," Sabine finished, crossing her arms, "not you."

"What do you-" She looked down at her hands, her red, spotted hands. She still had the mask on. Instead of Marinette, Ladybug was the one who sat down at the dinner table. "Well, I guess this makes that conversation easier."

"What conversation?"

"Mom, Dad," Ladybug took a breath. "I have a secret. I'm Ladybug."

"Well, clearly you're Ladybug, we can see the yo-yo."

"Yes," she sighed, detransforming. "But I'm also Marinette."

"Wait a minute..."

Sabine moved her fingers around, connecting invisible dots. "If you're Marinette, then Marinette is Ladybug."

"Yes." 

"But that means-" Sabine frowned. "You're putting yourself in a lot of danger."

"I have to save the city mom, its my duty."

"You're a child."

"Yeah, but no one else wants to fight."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Is Chat Noir that boy you like.... Adrien?"

"How is that important

"Actually, yes." Marinette blushed. "But Mom's right, that's not important. He hit his head and is taking a break from fighting and stuff."

"Oh no."

"I hope he gets better soon."

"Yeah, so do I."

"Part of me wants to ground you, to protect you," Sabine shook her head, "but the other part of me knows that even if we ground you, you'll run off and fight as Ladybug anyways."

"Probably." Marinette shrugged.

"I'm proud of you." Tom smiled. "My little girl is out there, saving the world."

"Hopefully." Marinette winced. "Recently, I've lost more than I've won, so I just wanted to let you know, in case-"

"Don't finish that statement." Sabine closed her eyes. "You are going to succeed. Nothing bad will happen. It can't."

"Whatever happens will happen, but hopefully the universe is on my side. I'm trying to restore balance, not destroy it."

"Just promise me you'll be safe."

Marinette sighed. "I'm not going to make promises that I can't keep, but I'll try, Mom."

"Thank you."

"I'll do my best."

...

After that whole conversation was over, which included some tears, a lot of hugging, and one promise to give her partners croissants on the next patrol, Marinette sent a text to the other heroes, saying that she told her parents and it went better than expected. 

The next step was to find Hawkmoth, but Marinette didn't even know where to begin.

Hawkmoth probably already knew who she was, so even if she did find him, he would probably be expecting her. 

No, she had to wait.

She knew he was looking for her, so if she waited, she could attack him first. 

Hopefully, Marinette would be able to identify Hawkmoth before he attacked. Maybe he would go for something subtle, find a casual way to rip her earrings out. (That sounded ridiculous, and Marinette knew it was impossible). 

It was going to be the hardest fight of her life.

And she had no idea what to do next. 

Other than sleep.

Sleep was a good idea. 

Especially because with all the worrying, she had already stayed up past midnight. And between late night Akuma and Sandboy, Hawkmoth had been screwing with her sleep cycle for months. 

Maybe that was his master plan. Mess up her sleep cycle in the long run, so that she would be too tired to fight. 

Marinette yawned. 

That would be a genius plan. If he attacked now, she would seriously consider giving up. 

But he didn't attack, and she drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Marinette's parents would be supportive but also worried. Every time they saw news about Ladybug getting injured they would make sure that Marinette is fine. They want to do everything they can to help but they don't know how.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: can't remember the timeline of this fic.  
> Me: rereads the whole thing and realizes it's super vague on purpose  
> Also me: yeah Adrien can get a little but better, as a treat

It had been two weeks since Chat Noir hit his head, and there had been major improvement from Adrien. 

For one thing, he was able to walk down the hallway without stumbling. He still got tripped up over staircases, but it was a step. (Haha get it. Stairs, step?) 

He also didn't fall backwards every time he out his backpack on. Adrien had been carrying around a rolling-backpack because of balance issues, but by the second week, he had his normal backpack.

Luckily, Adrien had been excused from most of the homework. He had been able to go to school, and rest when he was at home. He often complained of headaches, and still seemed a little fuzzy, but he was remembering everyone's names, which was good.

He was becoming good friends with Nino and Marinette again, and before long, started eating lunches with them (and Alya, and begrudgingly, Chloe).

He didn't remember who they were, but he was relearning and trying. The whole superheroes in Paris had come as a total shock to him, but he seemed to be getting used to the idea. 

He could hold a coherent conversation, but still got lost going from classroom to classroom.

And, Marinette noted, he seemed to have no memory of being Chat Noir. She had tried to bring it up, in both subtle and blatantly obvious ways, and he seemed confused at all. 

He wasn't allowed to rejoin fencing (for safety) but he was back in all of his classes. 

And he had stopped declaring his undying love for Marinette every time he saw her.

Thankfully that had only happened once, but it was embarrassing enough for both of them that he didn't bring it up again, and he did nothing else that could've exposed her as Ladybug, thankfully.

Marinette didn't think she could handle Adrien saying that he loved her without spontaneous combustion. There was already so much that she was trying to do, that between hunt down Hawkmoth, control her frustration, and protect Paris, she couldn't deal with any Chat Noir, over the top type flirting. 

Instead, Adrien was very sweet. He volunteered to do a group project with her for history, and offered to help her study. He was a good friend. He helped her pick up her books when she dropped them, and much to Chloe's frustration and Alya's glee, sat next to her in class.

To Marinette from a few weeks ago, it would've been overwhelming, but knowing that Adrien was also her goofy partners made it less intimidating. Also, she was freakin Ladybug. She could do anything. 

Marinette and Adrien ended up working on the project in the library, after school one day. 

She was trying to organize all the information in a way that made sense, when he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, what's up?" She continued to rearrange the presentation.

"I mean, like-" Adrien took a breath. "Well, first, I want to apologize."

"Oh. Oh?" Marinette shut her laptop. "You've been so nice-"

"I want to apologize for before. When I..." Adrien made a swirling motion with his hand. "When I bonked my head, I lost it for a while. I said a lot of things I didn't mean, revealed things I shouldn't have. I'm sorry for embarrassing you by declaring my love for you."

She chuckled. "No big deal."

"Really, I'm-"

"Don't sweat it, buddy. You weren't yourself. I'm not mad."

"You aren't?"

"No. Adrien, you're my friend. Just because you said something you didn't mean-"

"But I did mean it."

Marinette blinked. "Oh."

"Is that a good 'oh' or a bad one?".

"I don't know. That definitely changes things."

"I mean, like, I don't want to die for you. Not yet."

"That's a relief, I don't want you to throw yourself on more danger for me."

"More?"

She waved. "I'll explain later."

"Okay." He shook his head. "Chloe showed me a video of what I said, and it was pretty embarrassing."

"Apology accepted."

"I'm not going to say that we're soulmates, because that seems extreme, but I will say this," Adrien took a breath. "I like you, Marinette. I like you, and I want to get to know you better, and I want to take you on a date."

"Whoa."

"Is that a-"

"Good whoa. Definitely." Marinette smiled. "I thought you were going to say that we were just very good friends or something."

"No," he grabbed her hand. "I think there's definitely something more between us."

"Yeah." It was at that moment that Marinette remembered that Adrien did not remember that he was Chat Noir. It wasn't fair to date him when she knew more than he did. "But I think we should wait until you're feeling better."

"Marinette, I've never felt better. I know what I'm saying."

"I know that, but I also know you accidentally knocked over that bookcase earlier. You aren't quite you, Adrien, trust me."

"How am I supposed to be me if I can't remember who I was?"

"I don't know, but I'll help you however I can."

"Go on a date with me?"

"I don't think that will help-"

"No, it might." Adrien shrugged innocently. "I'm supposed to spend more time with my peers and get used to social interaction again."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "You planned this."

"Perhaps." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm doing better than you think."

"Maybe you are." She looked at him, and didn't see an injured kitty, she saw someone who was trying to get better, and was. He wasn't back to "normal," and maybe he never would bed but he was getting better. "But you still accidentally called Chloe your Mom."

"In my defense, she's blonde. Will you guys let that go?"

"Never, its hilarious." Marinette chuckled. "You've convinced me."

"I have? Of what?"

"I'll go on a date with you, if your father approves of it."

He typed something into his phone. "You drive a hard bargain." He held out his hand.

"Pound it!" She did a fistbump. "Oh, wait was I supposed to-"

"Huh?" Adrien looked down at his hand, then back to hers. "You were supposed to shake it. Why would I-"

"Its something we used to do. Sorry." 

"It just took me by surprise." He held out his fist. "Pound it?"

"Yeah." 

"That's cute." He smiled. "You're cute."

Marinette blushed. "I- you- cute. Adrien- cute. No you."

The stutter, which had been gone, came back out of nowhere. Kinda like her feelings for him. Just when she thought she had fallen in love with Chat Noir, Adrien had to smile at her. Adrien. She needed to act like he was Chat.

"Okay?"

She shook her head, trying to picture a black mask on the boy sitting across from her. "I mean thanks."

"I only speak the truth." He winked.

There was some of that Chat Noir smoothness. He was back.

"Flirt." She rolled her eyes. 

His phone buzzed. "Oh, he says yes."

"He said yes?"

"Father. He said yes."

"Okay." Marinette didn't even realize that Adrien and his father communicated directly. She had only ever seen Gabriel Agreste through a screen. Honestly, she wasn't sure if he was still alive or just a series of cleverly recorded and edited clips for every occasion. "I'm surprised he responded so fast."

"He's been super caring since I hit my head. I think he blames himself for it."

That didn't make sense, but maybe he did. "I'm glad you guys are closer."

"So am I. How does Friday night sound."

"Friday, like tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"I'm free." Marinette double-checked her phone calendar. "I'm free, but if there is an Akuma attack, I have to run home."

"Cool, I'll let my dad know that you'll be over for dinner."

Dinner, with Gabriel Agreste? Marinette hadn't gone on a single date with Adrien, she didn't want to deal with meeting his parent(s) yet. 

But she liked Adrien, and didn't want to hurt his feelings. Maybe he was moving a little fast, but it was kinda sweet. Also, maybe it would give her a chance to tell Gabriel Agreste how Adrien really got hurt.

And apologise in the process. 

They deserved to know what happened. But it was probably going to be more awkward than revealing to her parents had been. 

Gabriel Agreste was not as easy-going as the Dupain-Chengs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi yes I currently have two ideas for oneshots,   
> 1) Adrien finds out that his dad had been missing for months and everything he says is a recorded message played by Nathalie. The real Gabriel Agreste has become a full-time hawkmoth, or died idk
> 
> 2) Sabine and Tom know that Marinette is Ladybug, but she doesn't know that they know, and somehow through some miscommunication and them subtly hinting that they know, she panics, and lies, saying that she, Marinette, is dating Ladybug, to preserve her identity. Her parents just go along with it, because she's finally opening up about her hero stuff and confiding in them, even if she's talking in the third person.
> 
> And how could I forget:
> 
> 3) companion fic to this one, where Hawkmoth gets the ring, only to find out that some kwami are not as easygoing as Nooroo (aka plagg is a little shit).
> 
> But also like I need to finish this so there's that lol


	12. Chapter 12

Marinette had no idea how Adrien managed to convince his dad to let him date her. 

He literally did not let his son have a birthday party. The man was strict as hell. And Adrien was still recovering. It was out of character for Gabriel Agreste to allow Adrien to hang out with friends, much less go on a date. 

It just didn't make sense...

Unless Agreste Sr. had seen the error of his ways and decided to be a less strict parent? 

Perhaps. 

Or there was an ulterior motive. 

Before dinner, Marinette and Adrien worked on their group project in his room, trying to figure out the best format for the presentation. 

The whole thing seemed too good to be true. Marinette was going on a date with the guy she was in love with, and he loved her back. They had secretly been superhero partners all along, best friends in and out of the mask. It was perfect. Maybe too perfect.

It was like a fairytale, so sue her for being paranoid about the whole thing.

After all, it would be just her luck, if Hawkmoth attacked while they were eating dinner. She would have to make some excuse, and it would probably offend the Agrestes and she would be banned from entering their household again (like Nino).

Or not. Hopefully.

After everything that had happened recently, Marinette, and especially Adrien, deserved to have one good night.

If Hawkmoth chose to attack during the date, Marinette would hunt him down and not hesitate to kill him. 

Marinette was wearing a romper, because she didn't want to seem too formal, but also, she wasn't going to just wear jeans. It was a date. She had on the tiniest but of makeup, even though Adrien had assured her that she was beautiful without it. 

... 

Dinner was off to an awkward start.

Adrien, was sweet, but he did not need to declare how much be loved Marinette as soon as they Sat down.

Marinette hadn't known what to say, and had been very flustered, (it was one thing for Chat Noir to flirt, but another for Adrien) so she had been mostly quiet.

They made small talk about the group project, current events, and the superheroes, and Marinette tried not to get defensive when Gabriel Agreste said that Ladybug and Chat Noir were reckless and should surrender their miraculous. 

What kind of psychopath would side with Hawkmoth? How could he say that? Especially when his son was Chat Noir. It wasn't fair. He didn't understand how hard it was to be a hero, not that Marinette could reveal her identity at that point. It would only cause more problems.

She wanted to let them know the truth about how Adrien was injured, but clearly that wasn't a conversation that Gabriel Agreste was ready for. If he had any idea that his son had been Chat Noir, Adrien would probably be grounded for life.

Then, she had been interrogated by Gabriel Agreste about her intentions with his son. 

She had to assure him that she wasn't after money or fame, she just liked Adrien. (He still seemed skeptical, especially after she said that she wanted to be a fashion designer).

And then he had asked wayyy too many questions about her earrings. 

She lied, saying they were family heirlooms, yes she always wore them, they were very important to her, no she's never heard of a kwami-

Wait, what?

Marinette froze and stared at Gabriel Agreste. How did he know what a kwami was?

The butterfly-shaped pin on his shirt seemed unique, but he gave vague answers to all the questions she started asking him. 

Very quickly after, Gabriel retired to his study, and dinner was over.

...

After that whole mess, Marinette was ready to go home and cry, when Adrien gave her a hug. 

"You really impressed my dad."

"Really?" Marinette blinked. "He was interrogating me."

"And you didn't break under the pressure. Trust me. Its was impressive."

"Thanks Adrien."

"Its the truth. You are impressive, Marinette. You're confident and cute and strong, and-"

"We need to talk."

His face dropped. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, we just- conversation?"

"But isn't that what people usually say before they break up?" His eyes started to water.

"No." Marinette gave him a hug. "I'm not breaking up with you. I just need to tell you a secret."

"Okay."

"In private."

"Follow me." Adrien grabbed Marinette's hand and led her to his room. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Well," she shrugged sheepishly, "you know how there are superheroes in Paris?"

"Like Ladybug?"

"Yeah. Exactly."

"What about them?"

"Before you hit your head, you kinda were one, my partner, Chat Noir, but you lost the ring and Hawkmoth got it and he might be your dad and I think if we take him by surprise, we can end this now, but he also knows who I am and I-" she mumbled.

"Can you say that one more time, slowly?"

"Yeah," Marinette repeated her vague summary of everything that had occurred in the last two weeks. 

"Lets go fight him."

"What?"

"Right now. If we take him by surprise, we can beat him."

"But Adrien, he's your dad."

"Yeah, but he's a supervillian. He's hurting people. Family or not, he needs to be stopped."

"That's really brave of you."

"I just want to do the right thing."


	13. Chapter 13

Marinette was ready to charge into Hawkmoth's office and fight him, and Adrien was right behind her.

Before she could go into the hallway, Bunnyx appeared, stepping out the the burrow, blocking the door.

"What?" Marinette crossed her arms. "Now's my chance."

Bunnyx shook her head. "Trust me littlebug, you need to wait."

"But-"

"And you," Bunnyx pointed at Adrien. "You need to sit this one out."

"I'm her partner, I should fight by her side." Adrien stepped closed to Marinette.

"What you need to do is heal."

"But-"

"Chat," Marinette frowned. "She's right. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Trust me, okay. Have I ever steered you wrong before?" 

Marinette pulled a face. "You threw me at Chat Blanc with no warning?"

"Chat blanc?"

Marinette waved, "I'll explain later."

"That was a tough one." Bunnyx chuckled. "But I knew you could do it."

"I was your only hope."

"Same thing." 

"Not really..."

"Littlebug," Bunnyx looked at her watch, "5-"

"5 what? Minutes? Years? Children I have in the futue?"

"4-"

Marinette facepalmed. "Well now I feel stupid."

"3-"

"Its a countdown."

"2-"

"I'm nervous. Why am I nervous?"

"1." Bunnyx finished, stepping away from the door. "That should be good."

"Good for what?"

"You can go fight now."

"Cool. Tikki, Spots on!" Marinette magically transformed into Ladybug with a flash of bright light.

"Wow."

Bunnyx punched Adrien's shoulder. "It never stops wow-ing you, kid. Sit down."

Marinette gave one last look at Adrien before going out the door. "I love you. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Adrien sat down on the bed."I love you too."

Bunnyx sat across from him. "We need to talk."

"Marinette already told me everything. She's Ladybug, I'm Chat Noir, we fight the bad guy, who is my dad, and now we're dating. What else is there to know?"

"This is a secret, okay?"

"Okay."

"It has to stay between you and me. Got it?"

Adrien nodded. "Got it, but I'm not sure I understand-"

Bunnyx took a breath. "When you got hit on the head, it was because I broke some scaffolding on a building near you guys."

"Oh." Adrien relaxed. "I forgive you, I'm sure it was an-"

"It wasn't an accident. It was very specifically aimed at you." She blurted out. "You told me to do it."

"Wait, what?"

"You asked me to give you concussion." She repeated. 

He shook his head. "I don't understand."

"Neither did I, but you did it."

He scratched his head. "What did I see?"

"You knew who Hawkmoth was, and everything about him. You masterminded the plot to give your ring to him and have Plagg annoy him until he gave up."

"Who's Plagg?"

"Oh, right." Bunnyx shrugged. "He's basically a cheese gremlin that gives you magical powers."

"Cool."

"But he can be super annoying and destructive."

"Huh. My dad would hate that."

"Exactly... You were going to just leave the ring where he could find it and let chaos run it's course."

"That's pretty smart of me..."

"Yeah, it was."

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "But why did I need to get hurt?"

"That's a bit more complicated. With everything going on in there," Bunnyx pointed to his head, "I'm not sure if you'd understand."

"Try me."

"Okay, basically, in every timeline where you didn't get injured, Ladybug got akumatized before your plan could take effect."

"Ladybug- Marinette got akumatized? But she's such a positive person-"

"Yeah, but she, like everyone has her insecurities. The week you got hit in the head was rough for her, and she had no one to confide in."

"What about me?"

"You hadn't revealed your identities yet. She felt alone."

"Oh-"

"But after you got hurt, she revealed herself to some friends and family. She felt the support she had been missing, and was able to keep away dark feelings-"

"Except that one time that Alya had to push her down the stairs."

"Yeah, there was that." 

"What happened in the other timelines?"

"She had no one to talk to. Bottled up her emotions, and one day they exploded... along with the rest of Paris."

"Exploded?"

"It wasn't pretty. We did everything we could, but it was futile. Even Hawkmoth couldn't control her. Without her miraculous, she couldn't be cured, and she had the miraculous. It was an unfixable timeline."

"Woah, that's heavy."

"Yeah, I'm sorry for putting all of this on you. No kid deserves to have so much responsibility."

Adrien shook his head. "I caused her to be akumatized-"

"No."

"But you said that in every timeline where I didn't get injured, she got akumatized."

"Thats correlation, not causation, kitty. Think of the butterfly effect. It wasn't entirely your fault."

"But it wasn't _not_ my fault either."

She shrugged. "Your last words were begging me to go back and do something, it was the only thing I could think of."

"Well, it worked."

"Yeah, but you might have brain damage."

"I'm healing mostly fine, and don't the ends justify the means?"

"I don't know if they do."

"I think you did the right thing. If I was him, I'd tell you the same thing." Adrien took a breath. "If giving me a concussion saves the world, give me a concussion."

"You're a hero."

"I'm a coward."

"You know, sometimes those are the same thing."

As Adrien opened his mouth to retort, Marinette slammed the do or open, causing him to jump. 

Ladybug marched into Adrien's bedroom, holding the cat, peacock, and the butterfly miraculous. 

"That was surprisingly easy."

Bunnyx nodded. "If you hadn't waited, it would've been much more complicated."

"I don't-" she shook her head. "I thought he would at least put up a fight."

Adrien wrapped his arms around Ladybug. "You can sit down. Its over now. I'm here."

She laughed. "I'm the one who's supposed to be comforting you."

"Shh." He gave Ladybug a kiss. "It'll be okay. I have you."

"And that-" Bunnyx opened her portal, "-is my cue to leave. Good luck. Remember what I told you."

"What did she tell you?" 

"Long story," Adrien waved, "what happened to you? You said it was easy?"

"So easy. I walked in there and he handed the miraculous to me."

"No way."

"Yeah, I was in shock. I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there for a minute." She buried her face in her hands. "I thanked him."

"You did it."

"I guess I did."

"Its over."

"It feels a little anti-climactic. We fought him for years, and he just surrenders? I was expecting an epic battle."

"Its easier this way, don't you think?"

"Definitely. You were in no condition to fight."

"I think I could take him... but also, I don't remember which one is right and which one is left."

"My point exactly. And it'll be nice to have normal lives again."

"Yeah, speaking of which, I'm sorry about tonight."

"Don't be, I loved spending time with you."

"Yeah, but dinner was weird and my dad-"

"Was Hawkmoth?"

"I was going to say that he smelled like cheese, but yeah. I want to take you out on a real date. Next week, there's a fair-"

"I'd like that, but I don't want to overwhelm you. We can wait until you feel better to do anything big."

"But I want to do something with you."

She winked. "You know, I know the best little bakery, right by my house, and my parents would love to have you over for dinner."

"Are you sure?"

She kissed him. "Yeah, they'll be happy that you're officially my boyfriend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They get their nice little happy ending. 
> 
> So, did any of you see this chapter coming? Bunnyx, Adrien getting hurt on purpose, there were a couple plot twists. 
> 
> This is complete for now, but I might write an epilogue, that is their next date, and a separate one-shot of when Marinette confronts Gabriel about being Hawkmoth, if you guys want.
> 
> Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi yes thanks for reading!
> 
> ....
> 
> Hey, do you read/write/art for this fandom? Check out the [ miraculous fanworks ](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) discord server.


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